Mumbai is still under siege. Now more than 50 hours after an unspecified number of terrorists attacked the iconic Taj Mahal hotel – frequented by the rich; Café Leopold, a favourite of the backpacking foreign tourist; CST or VT, the main railway terminal of the city and the lifeline of the thriving business and commercial capital of the city.

As expected, there has been outrage from all quarters. The government is shocked and so is the Mumbaikar. I will not mention the spirit of Mumbai because it is just a media creation. I didn’t feel like working and probably would need a therapist in some time – a victim of terror – gluttony. People are not even feigning normalcy. There is fatigue – with the government and with the world in general.

For not taking the threat of terror seriously. 2 Prime Ministers of the country from the same family have been assassinated; half of the country suffers from some sort of insurgency or unrest; we have wonderful neighbours in the form of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangla Desh and yet…

Inefficient Response Units – although the police force laid down its life fighting the terrorists, it is safe to argue that the Indian police is under-armed, under-trained, unfit and de-motivated to take on such an attack as took place. Efficiency is different from bravado and emotion doesn’t win you a battle.

Good Neighbourly Relations – I don’t want good neighbourly relations with Pakistan or any other state that uses violence as an instrument of state policy against my country and people. We will suffer economically…well, so will they. We will suffer culturally? I don’t care and if we did deeper I don’t think that will be the case. There will be no cricket? So be it. How does cricket make any difference? There are other countries that we can play against; create new healthy rivalries and celebrate our defeats and victories.

Politicians.

People. People who crowd a high – security zone where commandos are trying to flush out motivated terrorists. Bizarre.

Media. Plays an important role and played one in this case also. But the constant emphasis on human interest stories by Barkha Dutt revealed a perverse desire to milk the personal tragedy of people. Not done, especially when done ad nauseum. Plus the marginalization of common ordinary middle class folk of the city. All the shows were populated by the rich of South Mumbai. What was the man on the street thinking? Any idea?

Javed Jaffry – I have always liked Javed Jaffrey but he said something that is a sliver now. When asked what he thought about the terror attack he said something like this – (this is the gist. I am not quoting verbatim) ‘there is a history of injustice in India. People don’t get justice. The British woman complains and her case is put on fast track whereas the others…all this is because of injustice’. He also spoke about Babri, the Bombay riots, Gujarat and the Christians in Orissa.

So for all the injustice that India personifies here we present the attack on 26th of Nov 08.

I am missing something here.

India is not a perfect country. India is not yet a just country. So is most of the world. So, let us arm ourselves and take each other’s revenge. Wonderful concept. Purely evolutionary. The strong will survive…

I offer my apologies, can we sit and talk or do you want to measure the amount of historical exorcisim that will be just right to settle old scores…all of this of course in the blood of young and old, man and woman, boy and girl and oh not to forget the children of course…and then and only then if you are satiated…